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McCartney On His Switching Of Basses
From
Norbert@21:1/5 to
All on Thu Feb 6 15:17:42 2025
Musician: Why did you switch [from the Hofner to the Rickenbacker]?
McCartney: It was given to me. Back in the mid-60s, Mr. Rickenbacker
gave me a special left-handed bass. It was the first left-handed bass
I'd ever had, 'cause the Hofner was a converted right-hand. It was a
freebie and I loved it. I started getting into it on Sgt. Pepper. And
now I'm playing a Yamaha.
Musician: How come?
McCartney: Because they gave me one -- I'm anybody's for a free guitar!
-- from the 1980 Musician interview
It wasn't "Mr. Rickenbacker" who gave Paul the bass, it was a
Rickenbacker worker named F.C. Hall. Paul started working with it well
before Pepper; it's on Rubber Soul if I am not mistaken.
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From
pamina58@21:1/5 to
All on Mon Feb 10 12:39:22 2025
Can you tell the difference?
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From
Norbert@21:1/5 to
All on Mon Feb 10 16:04:09 2025
Generally speaking, the Rickenbacker has a clearer and treblier tone
than the Hofner -- and I think Paul's embrace of the Rickenbacker from
Revolver till Let It Be coincided with his playing becoming much more
prominent and innovative. Paul said that his "prize period" on the bass
was 1966 - 1967. (I don't know; he's damned good on the White Album and
Abbey Road.)
He had the Rickenbacker for Rubber Soul, but there's dispute as to which
bass he used on which track.
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From
pamina58@21:1/5 to
All on Tue Feb 11 18:14:22 2025
Interesting. Thank you!
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From
Norbert@21:1/5 to
All on Tue Feb 11 19:16:25 2025
McCartney's Yamaha bass, BTW, was the highly regarded BB 1200. It's an all-around great instrument with the "neck-through body" construction
that was fashionable among some companies in the 70s. He used it on
"With A Little Luck," and it sounds great.
Oh, and it became the highest-selling bass ever auctioned off, at just
under $500,000.
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